EU in position to negotiate Brexit at last possible moment: UK min

Andrea Leadsom, leader of Britain's lower house of parliament, said on Tuesday the European Union had a history of doing last minute deals as Prime Minister Theresa May sought support from European leaders for changes to her Brexit deal.

After she delayed a parliamentary vote on her agreement with the EU she looked set to lose, May on Monday said she wanted to secure further assurances from the European Union on the so-called backstop arrangement in the Brexit deal.

"The EU is always in a position where it negotiates at the last possible moment," Leadsom told BBC radio.

"If we want to avoid a no-deal Brexit next March we need to go back to the drawing board to ensure that the UK parliament has that democratic capability that it is demanding."